Law Suit Alleges Safe Families Ignoring A Father's Rights Results In Infant's Death

CHICAGO, Feb. 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Today the Law Offices of Jeffery M. Leving, Ltd. and the O'Connor Law Firm, Ltd. filed suit against Lydia Home Association, Inc. and Safe Families for Children Alliance, Inc., both commonly known as Safe Families for Children, in the Circuit Court of Cook County, IL.  Leving and O'Connor filed suit against Safe Families on behalf of their client, Justin Freeman, who tragically lost his nine-month-old baby daughter, Cherish Lynn Freeman, as a result of the reported negligence of Safe Families.

The lawsuit, Justin Freeman, as Special Administrator of the Estate of Cherish Lynn Freeman, Deceased v. Lydia Home Association, Inc. d/b/a Safe Families for Children, Case No. 2018 L 001339 is a follow up to the breaking news story about the mother, Shanquilla Garvey-Howard, who is charged with the murder of the infant, Cherish, in December 2017.  The suit was brought by the infant's father.

In December of 2017, the Safe Families program released Cherish Freeman back to the care of her mother, Shanquilla Garvey-Howard, directly against the warnings of her father, Justin Freeman, who requested to have Cherish placed in his custody. Within days of being released to her mother,  Cherish was allegedly brutally beaten by her mother, causing the baby to suffer multiple skull fractures, internal bleeding, coma, and, ultimately death.

Safe Families allegedly failed Cherish Freeman and she became an innocent victim.  Safe Families reportedly failed to exercise reasonable care and ensure Cherish's safety, and failed to obtain her father's consent to release Cherish back to her mother – a reported failure that cost baby Cherish her life.

Justin Freeman is a father who tried to protect his daughter and was ignored. He is devastated by the loss of his baby daughter and seeks justice on her behalf.  It is his hope that this suit will help to safeguard other children from suffering a similar fate at the hands of the very agency which should be protecting these innocent children.

A press conference concerning this tragedy, held today at the Richard J. Daley Center, was  attended by NBC, ABC, and WBBM-AM Radio.

Contact: Jennifer Whiteside
[email protected] 
312.296-3666

SOURCE Law Offices of Jeffery M. Leving, Ltd.